The USA PATRIOT Act.

Discusses how librarians can protect patron privacy after the U.S. Congress passed the USA PATRIOT Act. Ratification of the act after the anthrax contamination scare in 2001; Reasons the law was enacted, including to grant the government greater surveillance powers; Arguments from privacy advocates who belive the Act violates civil rights; Implications for how librarians turn over patron records to federal law enforcement; Discretion that librarians have for the creation and maintenance of records; Detailed description of the statute. INSET: What You Can Do.